Publix Supermarkets Inc. recently was added to the list of grocers and drug store chains that have filed a federal lawsuit against MasterCard and Visa. They allege that the companies, along with their member banks, are engaging in deceptive practices and are restricting competition, which violates anti-trust laws.

Their claims are based on the interchange fees that the credit card companies charge each time a person uses a credit card. Retailers must pay this fee -- a percentage of each credit card transaction -- and they don't have the opportunity to negotiate the bank rates. The fees are rising and have reached 2.9 percent for some cards, forcing grocers to increase the prices of their products to compensate for the extra costs.

More than 60 percent of Publix customers pay for their purchases with a credit or debt card, and, according to a Publix representative, that should be cause for lower rates. Publix feels the ability to negotiate the interchange fees will create healthy competition among banks that will ultimately result in lower costs for Publix customers.

For more information about the lawsuit, visit the Publix Web site here.